Shocked? I know, and I understand. Bear with me!
Sometimes housework can become such drudgery. There is stress and pressure from the overwhelming feeling of having too much to do, too many demands on your attention and time.
But doesn't it feel so good to transform chaos into clarity? To put away the clutter, wipe away the crumbs, bring fresh air and scent and light to the dark and dingy?
I earnestly believe this is part of what being made in the image of God looks like.
"And God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created him, male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27
"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over... every living thing that moves on earth." Genesis 1:28
"But all things should be done decently and in order." 1 Corinthians 14:40
God is a god of order. He's commanded us to have dominion over our areas of influence, to rule and subdue them. When we rule and subdue our homes, bringing order to the chaos, cleaning up the messes and putting things to right... in a small way, we are mirroring the Lord and obeying that command.
I don't always love cleaning, and this is the only aspect of cleaning that I do love: the order that comes as a result. The feeling of goodness and rightness in my surrounding environment.
In reality the work is never ending and can often feel mundane. It can be thankless. It can be a mess ten seconds after finishing a job- especially with little ones in the house.
But it is good work that is worth persevering in. When I remember that order is good because God is ordered, and that ordering my dominion is filling His command and one small way in which I bear His image; it gives me a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
Let's commit to fighting against the chaos, however imperfectly our efforts may be. Let's find joy in mirroring His image and in ordering our worlds to the best of our ability. This isn't a call to spotless perfection, but rather to joyful endeavoring as we care for the homes {and people!} that God has graciously given to us.
How do you motivate yourself to just keep cleaning?
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